La Fleur’s Magazine welcomes lottery and vendor partners to its first physical conference in two years. “Our last conference was held in Austin, Texas in November 2019,” said Terri Markle, Founder & Co-CEO of TLF Publications. “We are thrilled to be reunited with our colleagues. We also want to thank the Texas Lottery for all its work to help make this conference a success!”
La Fleur’s Magazine would like to thank the following: Texas Lottery (co-host of La Fleur’s 2021 Austin Conference) as well as our Platinum Sponsors (Atlas Experiences, IGT, Pollard Banknote, and Scientific Games), our Gold Sponsors (EQL Games, Facebook and INTRALOT Inc.) and our Silver Sponsors (Abacus Solutions International Group, Playport, Pro-Lite, and Take-A-Ticket).
Below is the agenda for the three-day conference including the description of speakers’ presentations.
Tuesday, November 16
9 a.m. (CST)
Welcome Address
Gary Grief, Executive Director, Texas Lottery
Grief will be welcoming the attendees to the conference and providing a high-level summary of the current state of the industry, recent developments at the Texas Lottery and industry goals we should all have in mind for the future.
Panel: Texas Lottery’s 30th Anniversary Working Group
- Ryan Mindell, Lottery Operations Director, Texas Lottery
- Lauren Callahan, Media Relations Director, Texas Lottery
- Philip Bates, Audio/Visual Specialist, Texas Lottery
Platinum Sponsor Presentation: IGT
Joe Lapinski, Account Development Manager, IGT
IGT’s successful 30-year partnership with the TLC has delivered continued revenue growth for public education and veterans support in Texas. Key to this success has been the innovative “Texas Model”. Interdependencies created in this model continue to incentivize teams to trust, collaborate, and communicate transparently. Recently, IGT’s Same Store Sales team contributed to sales success in Texas. The team’s unique engagement, taking time to listen to the customer and IGT’s local sales team, and understand firsthand the Lottery’s current portfolio strategy and retailer environment resulted in Texas-specific product recommendations and the development of sales tools that have substantially improved retail execution.
Florida Lottery’s FY22 Draw Game Strategy
Shelly Gerteisen, Director of Product, Florida Lottery
This presentation will examine LOTTO redesign and rebrand, Powerball addition of Double Play and upcoming Cash Pop launch. IGT recommended Cash Pop to Florida a few years back but we had key challenges to overcome—mainly, higher prize payouts, resources to accommodate draw frequency (from equipment to labor and oversight costs) and comfortability with using RNG for a core draw game. The lottery discussed so many options over the years to offset these hurdles, including could we make it work as an instant game to help keep draw prize expense.
INSTANT TICKET SEGMENT
Texas Lottery: FY22 Instant Ticket Programs
Dale Bowersock, Scratch Ticket Strategy Coordinator, Texas Lottery
The Texas Lottery achieved its highest sales year in history in their 2021 fiscal year. There were many factors that helped them reach this record-breaking total. Game designs with eye-catching print features, enhanced prize structures and unique promotions were just a few of the contributing factors. Now the Texas Lottery faces a new fiscal year with higher sales goals than ever before. Dale Bowersock will present information on some of the recent and upcoming promotions as well as a few new scratch ticket game innovations for Texas which he believes will assist them in achieving a new sales record!
Platinum Sponsor Presentation: Pollard Banknote
Wait For It . . . Who’s Ready for the Next Big Reveal?
Matthew Isaac, Senior Director, Lottery Marketing, Pollard Banknote
Building suspense has always been an effective tool to keep customers engaged. Even popular streaming services, which have typically been known to drop full seasons of a show for viewers to binge watch, have recently moved to releasing weekly episodes to capitalize on this concept. In the instant ticket industry, gratification most often comes immediately which has been the basis for countless successful games in recent years. However, as lotteries continue to look for innovative ideas to attract, engage, and retain players, new games are beginning to leverage the delayed reveal. Many lotteries have leveraged this ‘curiosity gap’ and found success in this new category of games.
Lottery Director Panel: Instant Ticket Trends
- Tom Seaver, Senior Director, Colorado Lottery
- Jay Finks, Executive Director, Oklahoma Lottery
eINSTANTS SEGMENT
Pennsylvania Lottery’s FY22 eInstants & Instants Strategy
Stephanie Weyant, Deputy Executive Director, Marketing & Product Development, Pennsylvania Lottery
The Pennsylvania Lottery, like most U.S. lotteries, experienced unprecedented sales growth last fiscal year for Scratch-Off and online sales. The first question that comes to mind after such a historic year is: How are we going to top that? In this presentation, the lottery will share its strategy and plans for continuing to grow these important game categories, as well as ways to measure growth after such an extraordinary year.
Platinum Sponsor Presentation: Scientific Games
How to Launch a Kickass iLottery CRM Program in 10 Weeks or Less!
Merv Huber-Calvo, Sr. Director, Growth Marketing, Scientific Games & Lauren Walker, Director, Interactive Content & Customer Service, Kentucky Lottery Corp.
Kentucky Lottery’s iLottery program was growing quickly, but their “Big Box” CRM vendor wasn’t keeping up with their growing need to more meaningfully engage with their expanding playerbase. Learn how KLC put together a creative RFP for CRM, and why they selected Scientific Games to provide strategic marketing services and implement Optimove’s industry-leading CRM platform. Merv and Lauren will talk through the team effort that has gone into launching KLC’s brand new CRM program—from start to finish in 10 weeks! And what they are planning in the months and years ahead.
Panel: iLottery Developments
- Lauren Walker, Director, Interactive Content & Customer Service, Kentucky Lottery Corp.
- Stephanie Weyant, Deputy Executive Director, Marketing & Product Development, Pennsylvania Lottery
- Lindsay Yowell, Digital Games & Advertising Manager, Virginia Lottery
AFTERNOON PROGRAM
MARKETING & NEW GAMES SEGMENT
Lottery Marketing Panel
- Chris Rogers, Deputy Director, Marketing & Products, Arizona Lottery
- Derek Gwaltney, Founder & CEO, Atlas Experiences
- Robert Tirloni, Products Manager, Texas Lottery
- Ron Smerer, Director of Sales & Marketing, Washington’s Lottery
Platinum Sponsor Presentation: Atlas Experiences
Derek Gwaltney, Founder & CEO, Atlas Experiences
Lottery players dream about having the lucky numbers or the lucky tickets. Atlas has crafted Día de Suerte, “Day of Luck,” a promotional incentive program based in Sedona, Arizona—truly an exquisite destination. This perfectly formulated program will highlight how Atlas continues to elevate promotional programs for lotteries across Noth America. The presentation will showcase the opportunity and strategy behind the program and how it can be integrated into lottery promotions and games. Atlas searched for the perfect opportunities to include local entertainment, art, activities, luxury accommodations and digital innovations to create memorable and winning moments during Día de Suerte.
Canadian Lottery Case Study: New Games in A Pandemic
Adam Caughill, Director of Lottery Innovation, Ontario Lottery & Gaming
OLG executed three major game launches during the pandemic of 2020-21—a new lotto draw game, an innovative new Instant game and a first-of-its-kind Instant add-on game. OLG’s Director of Lottery Innovation and seasoned Lottery guru Adam Caughill will summarize the new product mechanics, the insights that drove their creation, their performance results, and the effect that the provincial lockdown measures and COVID-19 in-store protocols had on the success or failure of these new lottery games.
Arizona Lottery’s FY22 Quick Draw & Lucky Lounge Launch
Chris Rogers, Deputy Director, Marketing & Products, Arizona Lottery
The Arizona Lottery, like many of our industry peers, is an organization at a pivotal crossroad. Adapting to a rapidly changing marketplace by launching new product lines like Quick Draw and Lucky Lounge, the Arizona Lottery is all about enticing younger players while keeping loyalists engaged. Concurrently, marketing efforts have been underway to reinforce the value of the contributions that the Arizona Lottery provides to the local economy—including our retailer base—to further differentiate our offerings from other gaming entities. Please join us as we share information detailing our latest marketing and products efforts underway for FY22.
Gold Sponsor Presentation: INTRALOT, Inc.
The Lottery Market’s Needs for Vending Evolution
Kristen Pare, Marketing Manager, INTRALOT, Inc.
Lottery vending continues to evolve through technological advances as the retail landscape transforms around the pandemic. We utilize market analysis to improve vending capabilities and to address changing needs in the retail environment with the goal to provide a full customer experience to our players. Through this evolution, we continue to enhance customer service and accommodate the many challenges that retailers are facing today.
Lottery Panel: FY22 Draw Game Trends
- Frank Suarez, Executive Director, Office of Lottery & Gaming (District of Columbia)
- Brian Rockey, Director, Nebraska Lottery
- Robin Medina, Chief Operations Officer, Wyoming Lottery Corp.
State of the Industry Panel
- Paul Riley, VP Retail Innovations & Partnerships, IGT
- Matt Strawn, CEO, Iowa Lottery
- Matthew Isaac, Senior Director, Lottery Marketing, Pollard Banknote
- Amy Bergette, VP, Digital Content Studio, Scientific Games
- Gary Grief, Executive Director, Texas Lottery
- Moderator: Terri Markle, Publisher, La Fleur’s Magazine
4:30 p.m. – IGT Hospitality Event (all attendees invited)
Venue: Q2 Stadium (Austin FC)
IGT has scheduled four buses to collect guests from the AT&T Conference center starting at 4:30pm with delivery to Q2 Stadium’s Captain Morgan Club and the Live Oak Park. The buses begin the return loop to the Texas Lottery HQ and AT&T Conference Center starting at 6:00PM and will shuttle until 9PM. The band, The Nightowls, will play from 5:30 – 8:30. Hosted tours of the Austin FC venue will be offered from 5PM – 6PM. Guests begin their tour with a quick golf cart drive from the Live Oak Club to the VIP Lounge. The tour will end at the Q2 Store. The Q2 store closes at 6PM. Captain Morgan Club was designed to create the feel of a modern smokehouse. The indoor space progresses outdoors overlooking the Live Oak Park which is a 2-acre terraced outdoor park located on the East side of the stadium.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17
ADVERTISING SEGMENT
Advertising Trends Panel
- Amber Seale, Deputy Secretary of Marketing, Florida Lottery
- Jessie Teague, Digital Marketing Manager, Kentucky Lottery Corp.
- Josh Whiteside, Director of Marketing, South Carolina Education Lottery
Virginia Lottery: Agile, Iterative & Always On
Lindsay Yowell, Digital Games & Advertising Manager, Virginia Lottery
In March 2020, iLottery was signed into law by Virginia’s governor. The Virginia Lottery was able to launch iLottery three months later on the day it became legal: July 1, 2020. In the buildup to launch, we developed a strategy for advertising iLottery hinging on three main goals: to be agile, iterative and always on. Ultimately, we decided that the best way to execute the strategy was to manage the advertising in-house for at least the first year. Since launch, we’ve been on a journey of constant learning. From paid social and SEM to animated display and un-skippable YouTube bumpers, we learn lessons and find opportunities every day. We’re excited to share what we’ve learned.
Gold Sponsor Presentation: Facebook
The Evolution of Digital Ad Measurement
Emre Goksu, Account Manager, Lottery & RMG, Facebook
In this 15-minute presentation, Facebook will share how the evolving ads ecosystem is impacting the way gaming companies measure digital ad performance, provide some resilient measurement solutions, and highlight top ways to take advantage of these new opportunities.
Florida Lottery: Digital & Social Advertising & Media Innovations
Amber Seale, Deputy Secretary of Marketing, Florida Lottery
Social media and point-of-sale have provided opportunities for the Florida Lottery to be innovative and forward-thinking. Faced with the challenges the pandemic brought, we identified ways in social media to stay engaged with our players and beneficiaries by launching custom AR filters, as well as providing engaging and exciting livestreams. More recently, we brought in a Tic Toc influencer to host a Facebook Premier series. We continue to seek new opportunities from In-Store POP media, as it gets us one step closer to the point of purchase. Buying media via displays, like Gas Station TV and In-Store Digital Screens that are located at checkout, deliver the strongest ROI for the Florida Lottery across all media channels.
Kentucky Lottery: How to Approach Digital Innovation
Jessie Teague, Digital Marketing Manager, Kentucky Lottery Corp.
The Kentucky Lottery is one of the most innovative lotteries in the country. This presentation walks through the Digital Marketing team’s approach to driving innovation. Digital is not just iLottery or Social Media. It is out-of-the-box thinking or new and fun ways to engage players or improve their experiences. And it doesn’t need to be expensive. Think about innovative ideas for your organization and then prioritize the initiatives.
South Carolina Education Lottery: Tiny Stories Brand Campaign
Josh Whiteside, Director of Marketing, South Carolina Education Lottery
The Tiny Stories brand campaign playfully focuses on the fun of winning the lottery – not the jackpot – through the stories and philosophies of these smaller winners, told via a series of on-camera interviews for an imaginary TV show. The interview subjects are improvisational actors playing slightly ridiculous, self-serious characters who talk about winning as though they hit the big jackpot. Giving players in South Carolina the opportunity to share their Tiny Stories has given them a platform to engage with the lottery in a way that makes them feel good. Players shared their stories through social media, email and in person at our claims center.
Midmorning Networking Break
RETAIL SEGMENT
Lottery Director Panel: Retail Innovation
- Matt Strawn, CEO, Iowa Lottery
- Jay Finks, Executive Director, Oklahoma Lottery
Silver Sponsor Video Presentation: Abacus Solutions International Group & Playport
Terry Presta, Head of Business North America, Abacus Solutions International Group & Marina Bogard, Chief Executive Officer, Playport
Texas Lottery In-Lane Implementation Panel: An Organization-Wide Perspective
- Overview of In-Lane – Ryan Mindell, Lottery Operations Director, Texas Lottery
- Legal – Bob Biard, General Counsel, Texas Lottery
- Licensing – Ed Rogers, Retailer Services, Manager Texas Lottery
- Technical & Project Management – Fattah Elyabouri, Business Analyst, Texas Lottery
- Marketing – Ami Barzelis, 360° Marketing Planning Coordinator, Texas Lottery
- Product – Julie Terrell, Draw Game Coordinator, Texas Lottery
Silver Sponsor Video Presentation: Pro-Lite
Jonathan Kaoh, General Manager, Sales & Operations, Pro-Lite & Tom Yerke, VP, Sales, Pro-Life
Washington’s Lottery: Opening The Department of Imagination Store
Ron Smerer, Director of Sales & Marketing, Washington’s Lottery
Smerer will be showing from inception to opening, to where Washington’s Lottery is today, its new state-of-the-art “Department of Imagination” (DOI) retail/regional office. His presentation will capture the idea, the design, the construction, and the finished product. The presentation will cover the lottery’s expectations for the location, trials and tribulations during construction and finally future plans for this store and others in its future.
AFTERNOON PROGRAM
MUSL Lottery Director Panel: FY22 Programs
- Gregg Edgar, Executive Director, Arizona Lottery
- Bret Toyne, Executive Director, MUSL
- Gary Grief, Executive Director, Texas Lottery
- Cindy Polzin, Director, Wisconsin Lottery
Gold Sponsor Presentation: EQL Games
Digital-First Draw Games: A New Category Hiding in Plain Sight
Brad Cummings, Founder & CEO, EQL Games
As a solution to this problem, we will present the first suite of Digital-First Draw Games. These games can be purchased through retail or digital but they are optimized for online play. This means utilizing real-time feeds, incorporating video and other such visual elements, and finding other ways to gamify the game experience.
LOYALTY & PLAYERS CLUBS SEGMENT
Missouri Lottery: My Lottery’s Players Club
Kristin Vuilcott, Draw Games Product Manager, Missouri Lottery
The My Lottery Player’s Club is our hub for offering continued added value for our players. It’s our way to communicate, educate and offer some fun with our members. Member benefits include rewards and prizes, promotions, and news and winning number notifications. Our player loyalty growth has been tremendous. Over the past year, our new registrations have grown by 85.1% (140,174) and our monthly active users have grown by 58% (81,949). This equates to a retail spend of $380,150,650 being entered into the loyalty program in FY21.
You’re A VIP – Iowa Lottery’s VIP Club Recruitment Campaign
Cory Hart, Advertising Manager, Iowa Lottery
The Iowa Lottery’s top marketing priority is increasing player recruitment and engagement through our VIP Club loyalty program. We created a multi-media campaign that reflects the current mindset/behavior of current and occasional players, while educating and creating an emotional response that moves prospects to visit a retailer, play our games and join our VIP Club. Learn how the Iowa Lottery’s recruitment campaign increased VIP Club membership and engagement while retaining our base.
Hoosier Lottery: myLOTTERY
Brittany D’Haenens, Director of Marketing, IGT Indiana on behalf of Hoosier Lottery
Matt Cooper, Digital Manager, IGT Indiana on behalf of Hoosier Lottery
The myLOTTERY membership program is the primary way for the Hoosier Lottery to maintain connection with players and provide brand value and relevance beyond the retail transaction. However, growing myLOTTERY membership has been challenging and getting existing members to engage with the program after joining has been equally challenging. In this presentation, we will examine how shifts were made to deliver exclusive, relevant and insight-driven experiences to myLOTTERY members to not only help grow the membership database, but keep members engaged.
Lottery Players Clubs/Loyalty Panel
- Cory Hart, Advertising Manager, Iowa Lottery
- Brittany D’Haenens, Director of Marketing, IGT Indiana on behalf of Hoosier Lottery
- Matt Cooper, Digital Manager, IGT Indiana on behalf of Hoosier Lottery
- Kristin Vuilcott, Draw Games Product Manager, Missouri Lottery
CLOSING
3:45-4:15 pm (CST)
Lottery Director Panel: What’s Ahead? Conference Wrapup
All lottery directors in attendance are invited on stage for a final wrapup.